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sjordan2

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Posts posted by sjordan2

    Decals Under Clear Coat- Yes or No?

    in Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials

    Posted

    Just finished watching some Japanese painting tutorials on YouTube, on builds of a 1:12 Datsun Safari, 1:24 GT 40 and Mercedes CLK, all with racing decals. They all used pretty much the same technique:

    – A couple of coats of clear over the decaled body

    – Sand down the clear with 1200-1500 grit to remove decal edge prominence and smooth the surface overall (the finish gets very dull again)

    – A laborious process of using rubbing compound to bring up the shine

    – Polish (again, laboriously)

    Came out looking great.

    Large Scale Participation at Model Car Shows

    in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)

    Posted · Edited by sjordan2

    Seems to me that the choosing the car you want to build shouldn't be dependent on scale (though I've seen some posts on this forum from people who don't like to mix scales in their collection. Not sure I understand that.). I like larger scales, 1/16 and 1/12, because of the opportunity to add more realistic detail and I'm another old fart whose fingers don't handle smaller scales very well anymore. The problem with larger scales like 1/16 is that it's hard to find aftermarket parts, particularly engine bay parts like spark plug wire connectors, etc., so sometimes there's more scratchbuilding involved.

    Speaking of "bi-scale," I find that in most cases there's a bigger difference than I realized between 1/24 and 1/25. I recently bought aftermarket parts including tires, wheels, coils, etc. for a 1/25 project where, although the parts labels say they fit 1/24 & 1/25, they're too big for the 1/25. These kind of parts aren't readily available at retail stores here, so I've had to order them online and have been disappointed at what I received.

    Alclad II vs. Kosutte Gin San

    in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)

    Posted · Edited by sjordan2

    The pictures shown in this thread indicate to me that it looks better than Alclad in many ways and would probably be better for things like window surrounds and body trim, and perhaps more realistic than today's tricky BMF. I hope someone will do a demo on how that would look. For my additional 2 cents, I'd add that, to me, the average kit chrome looks unrealistically bright unless washes or other techniques are used to tone it down.

    Alclad II vs. Kosutte Gin San

    in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)

    Posted

    Probably because a spoon, a muffler, or any other broad smooth surface is easy. Anything else is probably a challenge and the results are less than steller. I wish Mr. Simonr would post some pics of some parts other than a spoon that he has rubbed with the "magic chrome powder". That will be the real test. How about a bumper, a valve cover, a wheel?

    It strikes me that broad, smooth surfaces are the most important areas for this kind of stuff – if it's everything it's cracked up to be.

    Online turotial, 240Z Safari

    in General Automotive Talk (Trucks and Cars)

    Posted · Edited by sjordan2

    This is both fascinating and scary. Here's a series of 6 10-minute video tutorials on building the 1/12 Tamiya 240Z Safari car, focusing primarily on the body and the engine; not much else. This is all in Japanese, but it's not that hard to follow what's going on. It's nice to see a video on a pro's technique.

    Part 1 of 6 is focused primarily on prepping and painting the body.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWscUoRLxHo

    The last one, part 6 of 6 is the scary part, and it studies what this guy does when he's not happy with the surface finish of the body and the way the decals set up with visible edges. Having already cleared the body over the decals, he sands the heck out of it, then gives it two major doses of compound. It comes out looking great.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp2pmtRS1OY&feature=related

    Interesting combination of rattle can and airbrush painting. One thing that amazes me about this tutorial and a few others that I looked at today is that these Japanese guys do their airbrush painting in their hands, inside their building room, in their laps, without gloves or masks.

    1/24 RX-7 R1

    in Model Cars

    Posted · Edited by sjordan2

    I think aircraft and armor modelers are among the most proficient hobbyists in the business, so I expect the attention to detail – but not such a wonderfully sleek finish on the body. If this is your first time at bat with model cars, you hit a home run.

    Studeford

    in Model Cars

    Posted

    So what tools and supplies did you use for performing what modifications? I've got a Bburago 1/24 metal kit of the Bugatti Atlantic, which needs some serious help just to make it authentic (cutting off air vents, opening the side mesh on the hood, fixing the seams on the fenders, and adding the signature rivets, etc.).

    Also, I understand that aircraft stripper from a hardware store is the way to get rid of the baked-on paint. Or did you just paint over the metal finishes?

    Your beautiful creation would make for a good build journal.

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